What are some things that shorten the life of a laptop?
From our repair experience, these are some things that shorten the life of a laptop.
1. Don’t let pets use the laptop unattended.
Pets can be hard on computers. We have seen at least three cases of a pet bird having dismantled a laptop and cases of “excited puppy” water damage. Cords present a hazard as well as an attraction for many pets. House rabbits seem to really enjoy chewing laptop power cords.
2. Don’t have hanging plants over your workspace. They leak.
Hanging plants are the source of a surprising amount of wet laptop damage. Plants are great in the office but they require watering. As luck would have it, over full plants will drain and that water gets on the desk or into the computer itself.
3. Don’t allow laptop to be yanked off the desk by passing mammals.
Dangling power cords are a trip hazard for pets and other dumb animals. The resulting damage from a jerked power cord can be costly to repair. Be conscious of cords and that they are not going to put our laptop at risk.
4. Don’t get wet. The laptop, that is.
Electronics do not like to get wet. A spilled beverage, mishap, or weather getting the laptop may be as minor as wiping it off or may kill the machine outright, or even somewhere in between. We had a laptop that was drowned and would not turn on, a month later it turned on and ran properly. If the machine has gotten really wet you will likely need technical assistance to repair it or at least recover your data if possible.
5. Leave the battery in the machine. Even if you only use the laptop plugged in.
A car usually has a full set of tires and a spare. You wouldn’t leave the spare out of the car just because you really don’t use it often. The laptop battery is part of the laptop, leave it in and leave it alone. Recent laptop batteries are often not removable without opening the bottom of the laptop. The laptop is designed to have the battery in all the time whether plugged in or not.
6. Don’t eat over your laptop. (Don’t zoom in, you might see your laptop!)
Eating over your computer allows spills and crumbs to contaminate the keyboard and screen. Sticking keys and stains can result from accumulation which can impact your use of the laptop. Regular cleaning is recommended, even if you don’t eat over your computer.
7. Don’t smoke around your laptop. Or allow the laptop itself to smoke.
Laptops pull a lot of air through them to cool the electronics within. Cigarette smoke likewise gets pulled through the laptop leaving behind an oily residue. Dust will mostly blow through a laptop but with this residue it sticks and accumulates affecting the system’s ability to cool. Replacing a gummed up laptop fan can be costly.
